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A History and Critique of Methodological Naturalism
Methodological naturalism is the thesis that only natural features can be factored into any legitimate explanation. Moreover, the thesis contends, any attempt to explain natural phenomena by appealing to supernatural features is unscientific and, therefore, illegitimate. This book argues that nothing inherently problematic afflicts possible appeals to supernatural agency in the attempt to explain select phenomena in nature. Reputable philosophers of the ancient and medieval periods, as well as prominent scientists of the early modern era, invoked supernatural agency in their attempts to understand nature. For them, miraculous interventions in nature by a supernatural agent were not unreasonable. However, the super-naturalistic worldview has been replaced by methodological naturalism. The assumptions of two pivotal figures--David Hume and Charles Darwin--brought about this change. This book shows that this change was motivated by unscientific means. Hence, the change itself remains inconsistent with the assumptions of methodological naturalism.
Evil and Pain
A specific form of understanding of evil, in the problem of evil debate, gets assumed among a variety of materialistic naturalists. Owing to their physicalist and, in some cases, behaviorist philosophies, this understanding assumes a hedonistic view of pain that reduces valuation to pleasure and pain. Herein, all forms of good and evil get reduced to pleasure and pain. This work reorients the debate toward a more biblical understanding of evil based on an essentialist reading of ethics. The book argues that the hedonistic understanding of value characterizing prominent naturalistic materialists, such as those alluded to by J. L. Mackie, semantically seems to entail either a synonymous or a near synonymous relationship between evil and pain. The book further argues that this understanding, given the essentialist reading of ethics, seems wrongheaded. By reorienting the contours of the debate, it suggests that the problem of pain might, in effect, be quite different from the problem of evil and that neither problem necessarily entails the other. Seen in this way, neither problem casts doubt on belief in God's existence.
Heaven
Without question, our world is filled with misery and pain. We somehow know and feel that something is terribly wrong with it. We have an idea of the kind of world we believe we should have. But we seem to believe that the world we live in falls short of this ideal world. The fact that we experience snippets of happiness and, sometimes, pleasure makes us wonder why the world we live in cannot be filled with happiness through and through. Hence we feel that something is missing. The contention of this book is fairly straightforward, though perhaps not simple, and it is this: there is nothing good here on earth for which heaven does not have a better substitute of infinite proportions. Whether we desire greatness, beauty, holiness, healing, or answers to questions of ultimate concern, heaven will fulfill them completely. The aim is not only to help the believer to look forward to a glorious end of this life and a glorious beginning of a new one, but also to enable him or her to live a meaningful life here on earth in spite of the reality of pain. If this conclusion can help a suffering saint to bravely face his or her hour of trial, then this book will have accomplished its purpose.
How to Become a Dynamic Biblical Preacher
Do you desire to preach with authority and conviction and keep your audience engaged from the beginning of your sermons to the end? You hold in your hand a description of an easy, step-by-step process equipping you with the tools for preaching powerful Bible-based sermons. Beginning with the initial step of heart preparation, Joseph B. Onyango Okello takes you through the process of identifying the text and topic to be preached, developing an easy-to-remember outline for your audience, and showing you how to explain, illustrate and apply the text of Scripture in a way that ties the word of God to the life of your audience. The principles applied in this book aim at equipping you with preaching skills for ministry. Once you’ve mastered this method, which Joseph has tested in the field of preaching for over thirty years, you will have a grateful audience every time you used it on the pulpit. They will be grateful because the method helps you to preach sermons your listeners will remember and re-preach!
Evil and Pain
A specific form of understanding of evil, in the problem of evil debate, gets assumed among a variety of materialistic naturalists. Owing to their physicalist and, in some cases, behaviorist philosophies, this understanding assumes a hedonistic view of pain that reduces valuation to pleasure and pain. Herein, all forms of good and evil get reduced to pleasure and pain. This work reorients the debate toward a more biblical understanding of evil based on an essentialist reading of ethics. The book argues that the hedonistic understanding of value characterizing prominent naturalistic materialists, such as those alluded to by J. L. Mackie, semantically seems to entail either a synonymous or a near synonymous relationship between evil and pain. The book further argues that this understanding, given the essentialist reading of ethics, seems wrongheaded. By reorienting the contours of the debate, it suggests that the problem of pain might, in effect, be quite different from the problem of evil and that neither problem necessarily entails the other. Seen in this way, neither problem casts doubt on belief in God's existence.
Revisiting God
Many Christians find it difficult to follow the standard arguments for God's existence. Without downplaying the importance of such arguments, this book tries to provide alternative reasons for believing in God, reasons that could be used as supplements for the standard arguments. First, it notes that reasons for belief in God can be derived from one unlikely place - from the lips of the unbeliever. It then considers the phenomenon of answered prayer as another simple reason for belief, thereby demonstrating that belief in God can be acquired not only at the theoretical level, but also at the experiential level. Other avenues are also explored, including the state of meaninglessness in which ...
Christian Responses to Terrorism
How should Christians respond to terrorism and terrorists in their midst? Terrorism is a global problem, and no society on earth faces it alone. The mainly Christian society of Kenya has suffered more than most as it attempts to counter the threat of al-Shabaab. Some pastors have asked for permission to carry guns. Many Christians support government military action, while others recommend pacifist stances, and strive for dialogue and reconciliation with the Muslim community. In this book, ten Kenyan Christian thinkers and practitioners share their experiences and insights. A response section from seven others, including a Kenyan Muslim scholar, enrich the discussion.
Salvation in African Christianity
“What must I do to be saved?” That question, raised in the book of Acts by the Philippian jailer, is a question for the ages. Yet what, even, does it mean to be saved? Is salvation for this life or the next? Is it purely spiritual or does it have physical and material implications? Can salvation be lost? Do we determine who will be saved or does God? What role does Christ play in salvation? Such are the seemingly unending questions soteriology strives to answer. In this eighth volume from the Africa Society of Evangelical Theology, African theologians articulate their understanding of salvation – and its widespread implications for life and practice – in conversation with Scripture and the rich diversity of an African cultural context. Salvation is examined from historical, philosophical, and theological lenses, and scholars address topics as wide-ranging as conversion, ethnicity, fertility, poverty, prosperity, the Trinity, exclusivism, African Pentecostalism, rural community, eschatology, wholeness, and atonement. It is a powerful exploration of the holistic nature of salvation as articulated in Scripture and understood by the African church.
Developing Relationships with Integrity
When discussing relationships within the Christian life and in all levels of Christian leadership, one cannot help but focus on two aspects of relationships--the relationship between the believer and the heavenly Father and the relationship between believers and others. In this book, readers will review characteristics that influence the way people live out and react in their Christian lives or ministry. The message focuses on the fact that for Christian life and ministry to be possible and effective, the individual Christian's relationships and his or her walk with the Lord must be a top priority.
A Tale of Three Cities
A central question for Judeo-Christian faithful is “Are we living in the age of antichristism or kingdom influence?” Can we salt and light entire cities and civilizations, as Martin Luther King Jr. hoped, or with D. L. Moody should we simply save as many as we can from our rapidly sinking planet? Over the years Christians have wrestled with the question and reached different conclusions. Augustine’s and Oliver O’Donovan’s answer to the question birthed The City of God and The Desire of Nations. Miguez Bonino’s and Grace Ji-Sun Kim’s Marxist-influenced liberationist answers produced Toward a Christian Political Ethics and the post-truth Intersectional Theology. Former socialist ...
